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Dinner with Rukmini
Browse all of the recipes in Rukmini Iyer’s cookbooks by ingredient.
Vanilla and Bay Loaf
Introduction from Rukmini Iyer
This is a lovely, subtle loaf, with the bay adding a herbaceous note alongside the classic vanilla. If you have time, you can steep the bay for longer than the time it takes to make the cake batter – it’ll give you a more pronounced flavour. One to make when you’re in the mood for a proper slice of cake.
Ingredients
Essential kit
You will need: a lined 900g loaf tin and a wire rack.
Method
Preheat the oven to 160°C fan/180°C/gas 4. Heat the milk in a small saucepan with the bay leaves; when it comes to the boil, immediately turn off the heat and leave to steep.
Whisk the butter and sugar together with the vanilla extract or seeds until pale and fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time.
Gently fold in the self-raising flour and baking powder, taking care not to overmix, then stir in the infused milk, reserving the bay leaves. Spoon the batter into a lined 900g loaf tin.
Lay the bay leaves over the top of the cake, then transfer to the oven and bake for 45–50 minutes, until firm to the touch and a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Leave the cake in the tin for 5 minutes, then gently lift it out on to a wire rack and leave to cool briefly before serving warm or at room temperature.
The cake will keep well in an airtight container in a cool room for 2–3 days.
FOR GLUTEN-FREE: Replace the self-raising flour with a good brand of gluten-free self-raising flour (I like Freee, from Doves Farm), or a 50:50 mix of ground almonds and gluten-free self-raising flour.
FOR DIABETICS: Replace the caster sugar with 80g xylitol.
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